China ‘willing to assist Pakistan for country’s social uplift’

Chinese foreign ministry terms Imran’s visit to China a success


APP November 07, 2018
Chinese foreign ministry terms Imran’s visit to China a success. PHOTO: FILE

BEIJING: A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has termed Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China as successful, saying that both countries agreed to work together to implement all agreements signed during the visit and further elevate the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

"We believe PM Imran’s visit has been very successful. We are very satisfied with the results," said Hua Chunying during her regular briefing on Wednesday.

“The two sides agreed to work together to implement all agreements and further elevate their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership," she said in response to a question.

The spokesperson said Beijing was "willing, in accordance with Pakistan's needs and with agreement by both sides, to provide what help we can for Pakistan's economic and social development".

Post-China visit: Task force formed to assess Pakistan’s financial needs

The spokesperson said that the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit gave a full picture of the tour’s outcome.

Highlighting the major outcomes achieved during the visit, she said it had deepened friendship between the two leaders because it was the Pakistani premier’s first official visit after he assumed office earlier this year.

"President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other Chinese leaders held friendly exchanges with him and established good working relations," she added.

The foreign ministry spokesperson remarked the visit also consolidated friendly relations between the two countries, adding, "We believe our ties have withstood the test of time [as well as] domestic and international changes."

The spokesperson added the visit had expanded communications between the two countries and the two leaders agreed to exchange views on bilateral relations and to establish a strategic dialogue mechanism between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

'Pakistan's balance of payments crisis is over - for now'

"The two sides will move the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) forward to expand projects under this flagship project,” she said, adding the visit would consolidate practical cooperation and friendly exchanges and the countries had agreed to enhance cooperation in economy, trade, finance, science and technology, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges.

About any immediate financial assistance promised by the Chinese government to help ease Pakistan's economic challenges, she said Pakistan and China were all-weather strategic partners, and the two sides enjoyed a very good relationship.

Hu informed the Chinese side had been offering assistance to Pakistan within the best of its capacity, adding, "In future, in the light of Pakistan's needs and by the mutual agreement, we will continue to offer our help economically and also in the sector of people's livelihood.”

PM Imran had his first official visit to China from November 2 to 6 during which he held very productive meetings with President Xi, Premier Li, Vice President Qishan and Chairman National People's Congress Li Zhanshu. He also attended the opening ceremony of first China International Import Expo held in Shanghai and delivered a keynote address.

COMMENTS (2)

Amir | 5 years ago | Reply Pakistanis are waking up slowly and understanding the Chinese trap.
dosteinsaaf | 5 years ago | Reply "China ‘willing to assist Pakistan for country’s social uplift’" Good! But how is China going to help? What we need is debt write-off. Is China going to give free grants to pay off the mounting debt? Or, are they going to give us more loans at steep interest rates that will only help put the country deeper in the debt hole?
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